-A Curse To Kill The Shadow-
by WingedIceWolf
Summary: Aoi never expected her Summer to change so drastically when she stumbles upon a figure in the woods by her cabin. His wounds will become fatal, leaving his life to rest in Aoi and her sister's hands. Little do the sisters know that there is more to his injuries than meets the eye, but also his story that originates from a land called Hyrule... A shadow, A sorcerer, and two girls...
1. Chapter 1 -Fallen-

Hello my lovlies! Here is another story based all upon a dream I had. An OC of mine will have a huge roll in this...Two OCs actually. Enjoy!

 _ **-WingedIceWolf**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN LEGEND OF ZELDA!**_

* * *

I pulled my dark blue, fur coat over my shoulders, shivering slightly as the fall breeze crawled up my spine. Golden, brown, and orange leaves crunched under my every step, my dark brown hair guided by the wind as my hazel-green eyes scanned the forests. Trees swayed in the whisper of the wind as I neared the mountain edge that overlooked the place I called home.

The sun began to sink low over the horizon, casting a warm, amber glow over mountains. The tall shadows of the peaks towered over the forestland of trees, and the small neighborhood of cabins that rested in their woods. As I peered down, I could see my cabin far off, trees of fire and amber stretched like a canopy over the oak residence.

I found my favorite seating spot, a soft patch of ground that lied beneath a lone willow tree. I took my place there and leaned against the tree, listening to the rustling of leaves and watching the last rays of sunshine disappear behind the mountains. The chill eventually died from the air, and I decided I should head back before the trail became too dark to follow.

I felt something was off as I began heading down the mountain trail, but I couldn't exactly remember what. As I continued, I felt a few droplets of rain hit my head, but I paid them no mind until I came to my cabin. When I reached the entryway, the rain began to fall rather quickly. I stepped up to my door, a light turned on the front porch as I knocked, watching the rain drizzle from the roof while I waited.

Eventually, the door opened and my little sister stood, her medium length chocolate hair hanging over her shoulders. She cocked her head up at me, as if she too noticed something was missing, but she stepped aside to let me in.

I shook my hair out and went into the front room that was a few feet from the entryway, sitting down next to the stone and glass fireplace on the tan carpet to warm myself. I was dampened, but not too badly, thankfully. I felt a tap at my shoulder after a few minutes, turning to see my sister.

"Where's your coat, Aoi?" She asked me, frowning slightly. My eyes widened and I stood up, dry for the most part, starting to head toward the door. "You left it outside? Mom gave that to you before you moved out!"

"I'll be back," I replied. Just as I was about to step out, I added, "Oh and Marley, get to bed. It's getting late."

I saw Marley open her mouth to protest, but a glare from me was all it took for to her nod defeatingly and race up the stairs before I closed the door behind myself. It was awfully dark outside, the moonlight covered by thick, dark clouds as the heavens themselves seemed to roar and cry. Knowing my path well, having gone up there many times since I moved into the cabin, I ran up the trail, trying to not lose my footing along the way.

The trees moaned in the storm and soon I found myself drenched in rain. _I'd forget my head if it wasn't screwed onto my shoulders…_ I remarked bitterly as I hiked up the path. To be entirely honest, I had a good memory and could usually tell immediately when something was missing, and me leaving something behind was a once in a blue moon occurrence.

 _Why forget now in the middle of a storm?!_

As I was going up the trail, I began to wander while lost in thought, a habit I had developed when I was younger. Not a few minutes later, I found myself several feet away from the trail I had been taking that wound up into the mountains and to where I guessed my coat had been left.

I probably spun around to quickly, my foot slipped and I flung my hands out to stop my fall as I plummeted forward into mushy ground. It took me a minute to recoup, wiping mud from my face onto my wet sleeve and rising on my elbows. Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat.

I could barely see a figure lying in the mud a few feet away from me, yet it was hard to make out his features in the darkness. I could tell by the figure's broad build that he was a man, a young man in fact, not a young boy. He was lying on his side, unmoving, and for all I knew, he could have died long ago. But I hadn't seen him earlier as I was walking…

As I stared, I felt a scream caught in my throat, my hand coming over my mouth to prevent from letting it out. I forgot I had held my breath and finally let it out, drawing in a couple deep breaths before my mind started racing with questions. _Is this man dead? Why is he here in the mountains? Did he commit suicide or something? Is he still breathing? Is he alive? Who is he? Why is he here? Why didn't I see him earlier?_

A rumble of thunder caused me to snap out of my panic state, followed shortly thereafter by flashes of lightning. I summoned up the courage to near the young man, able to smell blood in the air. He didn't make a move as I neared, and I feared he was dead as I knelt beside him.

"Hello?" I spoke softly, placing a hand to the man's cold shoulder. Just his cold temperature made me want to coil back, but I was determined to get answers to my questions. "Can you hear me?"

No response.

I shook him softly. Again, no response. I could see now as I studied the young man more closely between lightning flashes. He was wearing a cloak that concealed his face, leggings, and boots as well, which I found weird; not to mention a dark tunic to go with, and what I am pretty sure was a sword clutched in his right-hand judging by the glisten of iron I could see in the lightning flashes.

 _What the heck…?_ That's as far as I got. My mind couldn't grasp whatever was going on. I then came to realize a warm liquid coated my hands. I raised my fingertips to my nose and was met with the scent of blood. _Fresh blood…_ I thought to myself, quickly wiping my hand off on the grass. _He's injured…_

I turned the man over so he was lying on his back, unable to see his face clearly, but that didn't matter to me. I placed my fingertips to his neck, feeling for a pulse. I waited and took a deep sigh of relief to find that he was breathing, yet his pulse was slow, barely there. I didn't know why I felt so relieved to find this man I had never met in my life breathing, to be entirely honest. Human nature I suppose. _Or perhaps it was the fact there was a man who is injured and possibly dying at this very moment with his life in my hands…_

I hesitantly slid my arms under the man and tried to get to my feet. To my surprise, the man was rather light, lying limply in my hold with his sword sliding from his hand, dropping to the ground with a soft thump. I used my foot to kick the sword up to where I could grab it, taking it and putting the blade through a loop in my jeans.

Knowing the injured man, or whoever he was, needed aid, I began to run back to the cabin, entirely drenched in rain that had mingled itself with the blood of the young man I held close. My mind was focused on attempting to aid this man, and I had not even thought about my coat while rushing back to my cabin. It took a good twenty minutes to get up to the end of the trail if you went fast enough and at least ten or fifteen to get down.

I felt in my heart, you could say, that this young man had no ill intentions. I usually could sense someone's behavior and intentions the moment I walked into a room, almost instinctively. It was strange, I will admit, but many things right now were strange. My senses had almost never led me astray, and as I trekked through the mud and the steep path, I became surer of myself.

Eventually, I reached the cabin and used one arm to support the man, our shadows dancing in the porchlight as I placed my other hand on the door knob and twisted. To my relief, the door had not been locked after I left and it creaked open, casting light into the dark woods where we stood.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside, taking the sword from my jeans and putting it next to the doorway for the time being. I kicked the door shut with my foot, thankfully not waking the man in my arms. Carefully, I carried him to the fire that was still lit and lied him down on the couch nearby.

As I did so, the man let out a stifled cry of pain, making my heart jump a little. But I didn't waste time to check him over just yet, I instead turned away to find the first aid kit, going to the kitchen and opening a drawer near the sink, taking the kit back to the man who lied like a rock on the couch, breath shallow.

I kneeled beside the man and opened the kit with a click. As I looked up, I saw the poor state of the young man. He carried deep gashes, long stab marks as if someone had dragged a blade down his skin and twisted, and open wounds all along his body that I assumed were from a blade as well. He was soaked in rain and crimson, clutching to his chest weakly where a clear majority of the blood was coming from.

 _Should I call an ambulance?_ I thought to myself, biting my lower lip and looking to the marble table where my phone lied. _But what could an ambulance do to help him…? He doesn't even seem to be from this world…_ The more I thought about it, the more I felt the man shouldn't be taken to the hospital. I didn't understand why, but I decided to trust the feeling in my gut…

I sat on the couch and carefully placed my hand to the man's head. He was rather warm, growing a bad fever…As to be expected from all his blood loss and being out in the cold rain. I moved my hand down to the man's shoulder, first testing to see if I would wake him while tending to him. He didn't budge, not surprisingly, so I leaned over him and started untying his cloak, my fingers moving through the blood-soaked string and unknotting it until it was loose and the two sides fell from each other.

I carefully removed the cloak from the man's shoulders, setting it down beside me for washing later. Now I got a good look at the man's features. The young man had blood smeared on his face from a cut on his forehead and cheek, long pearly white hair that was pulled into a ponytail and matted with maroon. His ears were long and pointed with red loop earrings, his face being young, but twisted in pain and bruised. It seemed obvious the man was in his twenties, but his appearance threw me off. He seemed familiar…

 _Why does he have white hair…? And are those real pointed ears?_ I stared at his ears for a while and let one of my hands caress his ear. It twitched much like a cat's when I did so, him letting out a groan of pain. _Oh my gosh, they are real!_ I hit myself in the cheek. _Aoi, focus! This man is dying and needs help, you can worry about his appearance later._

I stood, went to the kitchen and grabbed my phone after washing my hands to make sure I wouldn't dirty anything, unlocking it with my fingerprint and turning the flashlight on. The thunder continued to rumble outside and lightning flashed as the rain pounded against the glass windows.

I once again came to the side of the man, opening his eyelid and shining the light into his eye, making sure I didn't shine the light directly as to not blind him. To my shock, the man had crimson irises, his pupils responding late to the light. _Slight concussion…_ I thought grimly.

Believe it or not, my mother was a nurse, so I knew more than most when it came to medical care. My mother would scold me as well if I got hurt and didn't come to her to disinfect a scrape or cut. She also taught me how to stitch wounds should it come to that, so I believed that with my general knowledge, I could stitch the wounds.

The sight of the blood and wide wounds made my stomach churn, just imagining how much pain this man must have been enduring. I would have been at least crying out every time I was moved, but this man barely winced, which gave me a little bit more hope in his chances of survival.

I stood and again returned to the kitchen, getting a pot of boiling water going with a needle tip in it so that I could clean and stitch the wounds. While it was warming up, I removed the man's many belts and his armguards, boots as well, two belts being around his waist and one along his waist to his shoulder. Then followed his tunic that bore a carmine sword emblem on the front where the blade tip met in the middle of his chest. I lifted his head with my hand as to not injure him further, carefully removing the tunic from his body.

I discovered a white and tattered, long sleeved shirt, mostly stained scarlet, underneath the tunic, a strange pattern on the sleeves and around the collar. I managed to remove the shirt as well. Of course, carefully. My gaze fell upon the gaping gash that ran from the man's shoulder to his ribs, spewing much blood onto the couch below him and rolling down his well-built body. Just as worse was the exposed wound on his chest, wide and jagged. Thankfully, it wasn't as deep as the first gash, but nonetheless, it was life threatening…

The young man was becoming more and more lifeless as the seconds passed, pale faced and pulse slowing. I knew I had to act quickly…I left his side briskly to find a red towel in the bathroom that I was going to use for a shower later, but this man, elf I suppose, took precedence. I draped the towel over his body and used both hands to apply pressure, the towel quickly becoming soaked in blood. The man drew in a sharp breath, clenching his teeth together with his ears lowered as I gradually increased the pressure.

I could tell that the man was too weak to fight me back, even if he wished to. I kept the pressure down for a few seconds, watching the man stifle cries of pain with tears threatening to spill. He was strong, that was certain, and he wasn't going to die out easily.

Finally, I released and ran to the kitchen to get the boiling water. It was bubbling as I removed it from the unit and turned the stove off, bringing it over to the couch with a cloth to clean out the wounds. I removed the needle from the pot and squeezed some soap onto the cloth I held in my palm. I then dipped the cloth into the water, it being extremely hot and nearly burning my hand. I had to cool it with some colder water until it was cool enough to not burn the man but still clean the wounds.

I removed the towel soaked in blood and used another dry towel to wipe him off before I started disinfecting the wounds. As soon as the cloth met a stab on the man's shoulder, he cried out in pain and tried to pull away, but I held him down to the best of my ability, scrubbing it out carefully. The man tried to pull away from me several times, but I was still stronger than him despite his best efforts and held him down securely.

I tended to the stabs first before the less severe gashes, making sure to wipe off the blood as I went until all that was left to tend to was the worst of the wounds. The man was trying to push me away, I could see his body tense and chest heaving as he searched for a way out of the pain. I then went to the long gash that ran across his chest, pressing the cloth to it.

The man screamed in pain, at least what he could manage, back arched in pain. I tried my very best to avoid harming him, but now that didn't seem like an option. He twisted, lashing out weakly and in vain, causing himself further harm. I pinned him down while I cleaned the wound, watching him writhe and scream. I was surprised my sister didn't wake from his screaming, but she was a heavy sleeper.

"Please, stop thrashing," I tried to reason, holding him down. "You will only harm yourself further than what is already done. I don't want you to hurt yourself, please calm down."

The man who I kept pinned whimpered in pain after his ear twitched, him being forced to stop thrashing with the amount of force I kept upon him. He eventually calmed, and I moved to grab my needle, quickly threading string through the eye.

I searched for something I could give him to help numb the pain, but I couldn't find anything. Regretfully, I took the curved needle and looked to his wound, biting my lip at the sight of it and wincing instinctively.

"I'm so sorry…This is going to hurt," I told him, taking his hand in mine should he need what comfort I had to offer. The needle passed in and out of his skin and I could feel his grip tightening on my hand. I hoped he knew I was trying to help him as I stitched the wound, stitching away from myself as I was taught and bringing the skin together eventually, tying it off using tweezers. I stepped back and looked at my work, satisfied with the stitching.

I then moved to where the stab was in the middle of his chest, looking to make sure it wasn't too deep. Whoever had stabbed him had not applied enough force to impale any vital organs, that I was sure of. So, I cleaned it out with cries from the young man, eventually stitching the wound as well. By the time I was done the young man seemed more relaxed but still in pain.

I stitched the other wounds that needed stitching and disinfected them, wrapping the ones that didn't need stitching and going around his torso for added support. The young man seemed to be clinging to life, barely moving and lying in his own puddle of blood. I let him rest there for the time being as I stood, going to a closet downstairs and pulling out a bedroll.

I lied it next to the fire and prepared it before turning back to the man. I wiped the blood from underneath him and cleaned him off so he wouldn't have to lie in it, hesitantly removing his sopping wet leggings with a blanket draped over him as to not reveal anything as I did so.

The young man had cuts on his legs as well that were easily tended to, and he seemed to be dry since I tended to him near the fireplace. Thankfully, there wasn't the need to go any further than his leggings, and I found a pair of my leggings I rarely used that he could wear instead of the blood-soaked ones, changing him into those quickly. They fit, surprisingly, and I didn't care what the man did to the leggings for now.

I moved the man next to the fireplace, getting him tucked into the bedroll with a soft blanket draped over him. I untied the ribbon holding his hair in place to make him more comfortable, his long pearly hair falling over his shoulders. He looked like something out of a fairytale, strong and admittedly good-looking.

 _I hope he recovers…_ I thought to myself. I had so much going on, that I wouldn't have recognized the man. I made sure he was comfortable regardless before I took his clothes to the wash room and put them in a basin with cold water to wash the blood out. As I did so, I saw a familiar mark on his shirt. I pulled it out and looked at it, seeing the familiar three triangle mark. _The Triforce._

 _What the heck?! How did I not notice that?!_ Then the realization struck. _Pointed ears…A tunic and a sword…Loop earrings…He's from freaking Zelda?!_ I paused again, recalling his features. _He looks just like Link from Breath Of The Wild! How on earth did I not notice?! And he is not a cosplayer…He's real…_

I stood there for a good half hour, staring at the Triforce on his tunic, feeling stupid. I loved the Legend Of Zelda series, how could I not recognize him off the bat? I had played through hours of Breath of The Wild, getting all 120 shrines and starting on the Koroks. I finally just put the tunic down, walked into the bathroom, and decided I would take a shower to clear my mind seeing as I was already caked in mud, feeling like a complete numbskull.

* * *

Yup...I hope you enjoyed! It will get better for "the man" I promise. His name will be revealed later on.

 _ **-WingedIceWolf**_

This chapter is dedicated to: _ **Avy Mac**_


	2. Chapter 2 -Cursed-

Hello lovelies! Sorry for the wait on this long chapter. As we speak, my little sister is currently in the hospital and other things have been preventing me from writing this chapter. But here it is now. Enjoy.

 _ **-WingedIceWolf**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Legend Of Zelda!**_

* * *

I took my time in the shower, and after drying myself off and dressing, I went to check on the wounded Hylian who lied in my front room. For whatever reason, I feared that I would open my eyes and all this would disappear.

I had concluded that this Hylian was not the Hero of The Wild himself, but the shadow of the Hero. They both were symmetrical in appearance, yet their hues varied immensely. One had wild blue eyes and amber colored hair while the other had crimson red eyes and pearly white hair. Both wore the same clothing, which I am unsure of how the shadow obtained them, but it didn't really matter anyways.

I knelt beside the Hylian and brushed back his hair, his ear twitching once again as I felt for a fever. Sure enough, he was burning up badly, but also shivering a bit, which I believed was from blood loss. I knew that when the body lost too much blood, it resulted in several things. Fatigue, inability to keep body heat, daze, and the other two which were rather evident right now. Paleness and shortness of breath.

I stood after pulling the blankets more over him, getting him an ice pack for his fever. I went to the fridge and opened the freezer, pulling out an icepack and wrapping it in a soft cloth as to not give the shadow freezer burns before I placed it atop his head. Then I waited…

After a few minutes, nothing happened, so I sighed and went upstairs to check on my sister. Upstairs were four rooms including the bathroom, one being the guest room to the right where my sister currently resided, another being a room that I had yet to use, also to the right, and my master bedroom on the left. The last room was straight up the stairs, used for arts and crafts.

You may be wondering how I managed to afford such a cabin. Well, it was my father's uncle's summer cabin (I just call him Uncle Phil to help with the confusion). The cabin was far out from where he lived, so for whatever reason, he lent it to me, knowing I had known the cabin since I was five years of age. Phil was currently paying for the bills until I could get a job.

That proved to be difficult, but recently I obtained my bachelor's degree and was considering becoming a park ranger. I had yet to be interviewed, and that would seem like a more difficult matter now that I was dealing with a wounded shadow and a 17-year-old sister who was visiting for the summer…

I went to my sister's room and opened it just a crack. The lights were turned on and my sister sat in her bed on her fuzzy purple blanket, legs crossed in a crisscross fashion with a book opened in her palms. She looked up at me as I walked in and she set the book down on her desk next to a wolf lamp, a look of concern on her face.

"Did you get your coat?" she asked me, looking me over with her same hazel-green eyes.

"Yes," I lied, having forgotten completely about my coat. "But-"

She held up her hand and I quieted down. "Aoi, I heard something from downstairs…It sounded like screaming…What is going on?"

I froze and my face paled for a minute. She had heard the Hylian's cries of pain, but would she believe me? I tried to make up a quick excuse, being good at lying. The first thing that came to my mind was "movie".

"I was watching a movie, you know. I know it's a little late and all but I couldn't sleep for whatever reason," I lied again.

"What movie?" my sister asked, starting to catch onto my lie. She raised an eyebrow with her arms crossed in front of her, her shoulder length hair brushed from her face instead of normally in her eyes.

"An action movie."

"What action movie?"

"Why does it matter?

"Why do I get the feeling you aren't telling the truth?"

I sighed heavily, shaking my head. "Come downstairs…But keep quiet."

My sister smiled and stood, reaching up to whack me upside the head. I pouted to be silly and held where she hit, pretending to wince as she remarked, "I've lived with you for long enough to know when you're lying to me."

"Worth a try," I mumbled under my breath.

"Not worth it. Anyway, what is downstairs?" Marley asked, lowering her voice as she was told.

I motioned for her to follow, taking her hand and walking down the wooden steps silently, coming to the front room. I kept her eyes covered as we went and finally unshielded them, allowing her to get a look at the Hylian. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth, but before she could so much as make a noise, my hand came over her lips.

"Remember what I said about being quiet?" I reminded her in a low whisper. She growled slightly and my hand came off her face.

"Who the heck is here and why?" she demanded, her voice lower than what it would have been.

I grabbed my sister by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "I am telling the absolute truth here, Marley…Remember how I got Breath Of The Wild not too long ago?"

"Yes, and it is an amazing game, but what does that have to do with anything?" she replied a little bitterly.

"Do you remember Link from Breath Of The Wild, or Wild as we call him?" I pushed.

"Yes, how could I forget? He's adorable!" she said with a grin on her face. Then the smile faded as I went on.

"I found a man collapsed in the woods when I went to get my coat. That," I began, motioning to the Hylian by the fire. "Is the man. He's extremely hurt and I was taking care of him. That's why you heard him screaming…"

Marley looked at me with wide eyes and stepped forward, but I grabbed her by the arm. She turned to me, saying, "You mean to tell me that you found Wild in the woods?"

"Not exactly him…I believe I have found his dark side…And he's real, Marley. All real."

Marley pulled away from me in disbelief. "That's not possible!"

"That's what I thought too. But look." I took her hand and led her to the shadow, having her kneel next to him as I took the ice from his head. Some of the color had returned to his face, which was a big relief, but unfortunately not much had returned.

"Oh my gosh," Marley breathed, covering her mouth with one hand. She marveled the man before her for several minutes, seemingly frozen. I could see in her eyes that she wanted to load me with questions, but refrained herself instead and went serious, breaking from her trance like state with a quiet voice. "How badly is he hurt?"

"Very badly," I replied grimly, pulling some of the blanket off the Hylian's shoulders to reveal the bandaging. Marley winced at the sight and looked up at me as I pulled the blankets back over his shoulders. "He's out cold and as still as a rock. For all I know, he could die tonight."

Marley nodded sadly, a grave expression on her face. "Should we call an ambulance?"

I shook my head and Marley frowned. "It would raise too much suspicion. We have to hope and pray he makes it through the night."

"Would you rather he be discovered and questioned or that he's in pain and dies?" Marley demanded to know.

"He won't die easily, trust me. He's strong," I reassured her. There was silence between us for several seconds, excluding the rain and the croaking frogs, and Marley looked down at the Hylian lying at her feet. She reached out and touched his shoulder softly, causing a wince to cross his face.

"Poor thing," Marley said quietly, retracting her hand. "Did you give him any pain medicine?"

"Couldn't find any," I replied grimly. "We'll have to take watches just in case he wakes in the night or becomes weaker."

Marley nodded and stared down at the Hylian. She just couldn't take her eyes off him for whatever reason, probably out of disbelief and curiosity, but I couldn't really blame her. After a while of awkwardly staring at him, she carefully pulled him closer to her and stroked his head. Strangely, he didn't move from her or wake. He seemed relaxed and secure.

So, that's how the night went on. The thunder continued to roar and the rain continued to fall and both of us rarely slept, in fear of the shadow passing on. When morning finally rolled around, the shadow had not woken, but it was evident he was awfully sore. With just the lightest touch, he groaned in pain.

It eventually came time to eat breakfast as warm rays of sunlight streamed through the trees and casted its light upon our deck, so I went to Marley and tapped her shoulder. She looked up at me as I spoke softly, "What do you want for breakfast?"

"I'm not hungry," Marley muttered, her hand on the Hylian's head.

"Please?" I asked. "You can't watch out for him if you're starving yourself."

Marley mumbled under her breath, hand falling from its place on his head and rose to her feet reluctantly. She sat at the large marble counter as I prepared breakfast. I pulled out butter, a spatula, pancake batter, syrup, plates and utensils. I got the stove unit going and placed the flat pan on it, spreading butter on the pan before I prepared the batter and poured it onto the pan. After preparing several pancakes, I heard Marley leave the counter and go back to the shadow.

I sighed to myself and took the plate of pancakes to the counter, hearing Marley speak quietly. Words like _It's going to be alright_ , _You're safe now_ , and _If you need to rest_ , please do so. I glanced over to see the shadow looking up at my sister, his crimson eyes glassed over. "He's awake!" Marley chimed happily, her gaze flicking to me.

I set everything down after turning the unit off, rushing to Marley. She was right, the shadow was conscious, but barely. His stunning eyes were cracked open, full of pain and confusion. I don't think he really had the strength to fully understand or contemplate the situation, so I tried to speak softly to him.

"You are in good hands," I began calmly. "Please be careful, you're badly hurt. Would you like to eat?"

The Hylian's gaze met mine for a couple seconds, and then dropped, eyelids falling shut. To me, it was clear he was exhausted and in need of rest, so I stood and allowed him to rest. I managed to pry Marley away from him, getting her to eat.

The next couple of days dragged on, and it was practically the same throughout each day, except the Hylian did not wake. Marley and I would take turns watching him, helping with redressing his wounds, and doing our best to get the blood out of his clothes. Marley and I somehow managed to get him to eat while unconscious, but there wasn't much more we could do.

My sister and I were sitting on the couch one morning, talking softly when the Hylian woke, trying to prop himself up on his elbows. Almost immediately, he stifled a cry of pain. I dropped down beside him, knowing he probably did not fully trust us, but wanting to help him.

While finally conscious, he looked at me with a stern gaze, one that could make any creature freeze in its tracks. But his eyes also carried pain. I instinctively retreated a few steps back, as he attempted to draw his sword, but his hand tightened around air. Shocked, the Hylian looked at his bandaging, pausing and looking up at me.

"Where am I?" he asked quietly, voice young and smooth despite the tone of pain hidden in it, his ears perked back. I believed he was confused, and possibly afraid.

Before I could say a word, my sister piped up. "Aoi, my sister, found you collapsed in the woods when she went to retrieve her coat she had left. She brought you back and stitched you up, did her best. According to her and what I've seen, you were gravely wounded. And you're still recovering, so take it easy."

The Hylian paused, staring at his surroundings before he came to meet my eyes. "Why did you help me?"

"I'm not one to let others suffer, despite who they are or what they've done," I answered. "I wouldn't just leave you to die knowing I could help you."

Again, there was a pause before the shadow rose to his feet, drawing in a sharp breath and clutching at his chest, stumbling but steadying himself against the wall. What you could see of his skin was pretty badly scarred. Marley tried to help him, but he refused her aid, heading toward the exit door.

"You shouldn't leave yet, you're still hurt!" I cried, trying to stop him. His hand went around the hilt of his sword, lifting it and turning the doorknob. Suddenly, he froze and dropped his blade, it clattering to the floor.

I rushed to catch him as he cried out in pain as if a blade had found its way to his heart. The Hylian collapsed into my arms, clutching onto his chest and gasping for breath. His young face immediately became wrought with pain, breath hitching.

Marley came to his side, eyes widening. I saw from the horror in her face that something was terribly wrong, and not long after did I feel his warm blood coat my hands, right from the center of his chest. Marley began to untie the bandaging around the wound while I applied pressure, but the shadow could not draw in breath. When we finally reached his chest, we were met with a gaping wound that had blood pouring from it, dark veins pulsing around the wound. His skin surrounding the wound was dark and transitioned to his normal skin color, like a wound poisoned with darkness.

"He can't breathe," Marley says worriedly, watching the shadow's chest. "Is he going to die…?"

Right now, I didn't want to answer that question as the Hylian grew weaker and cries of agony filled the air, but I couldn't lie to her.

"I don't know…I don't understand what's happening."

* * *

Cliffs! Muahahaha!


	3. Chapter 3 -Darkile-

Hello everyone. Sorry for the long wait! Here is the next chapter, and I apologize if it does not meet your expectations, I was having writer's block. I guess you can all take this as an early Christmas present. Well, thank you for reading, reviewing, and following. Enjoy!

 _ **-WingedIceWolf**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA SERIES**_

* * *

The man I held, collapsed in my arms, gasped for air. His blood soaked my hands as I racked my brain for the answer as to what to do in this situation, crimson eyes of his becoming glassy. I wanted to tell him _it will be alright, just breathe_ but despite his best efforts, no breath came to his lungs.

"I'm calling an ambulance!" Marley said, getting up and snatching her phone from the counter. She unlocked it and began to dial 911, fingers moving swiftly across the screen. Just as she was about to hit the call button, I attempted to stop her.

"Marley, no, we can't!" I cried. "We don't know what they will do to him!"

"He's going to die!"

I opened my mouth to speak but couldn't find the right words. Truth be told, I didn't know what would be considered the right thing to do, but I knew that taking him to the hospital was too risky. His eyes slid closed, but he continued his attempt to draw in breath, his blood dripping onto the white tile below. To me, it seemed he could easily be mistaken for dead...

"You're going to be alright, just breathe," I tried to assure the Hylian through a shaky, quiet voice, pressing my hand to the wound. The shadow gasped in pain as warm blood gushed between my fingers, and my gaze fell upon my sister, worry in her beautiful features. "Please Marley…"

She reluctantly lowered her phone and sighed, chocolate eyebrows scrunched together. "What else are we to do? Please, tell me if you have a better idea."

"Get me a cloth and a sterile needle. The surgical suturing material should be in the kit. I sewed the wound once, I need to redo it!"

Marley nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. First, I checked the shadow's pulse with two fingers to his frail, blood-soaked wrist, crimson rolling down his arm. Thankfully, his pulse remained, but it began to weaken. I had learned if a person had a pulse but was not breathing to provide air for them without any chest compressions.

I propped the shadow's head back and carefully placed my lips to his, blowing in air once between six to five seconds. His pearly white hair fell from my knees as I tried to resuscitate him. At first, nothing. Finally, after a few tries, his chest began to rise and fall in the steady rhythm of breath.

Relief washed over me at the same time my sister approached with a tan rag, a needle, and the medical kit. Marley's hands trembled as I took the items from her, opening the kit with a click and threading the string through the eye of the needle. Her hazel-green eyes were fixated upon the nearly still figure.

"Marley," I said calmly and quietly. She didn't meet my gaze, but I knew she was listening. "Do you know how to resuscitate someone?" Marley shook her head, but again, did not meet my gaze. "I'm going to need you to resuscitate him while I sew the wound and you will need to blow air into his lungs to keep him alive. Keep his head tilt back and blow air once every five to six seconds. Then repeat."

"N-no, I-I can't do this!" Marley said quickly, shaking like a leaf on a tree. I took her hands in mine, despite the fact they were coated in blood.

"We have no other choice. I know you're scared, but please just have a little faith. You can do this," I reassured her firmly. She nodded, both of us wiping our hands off with the rag. Marley knelt beside the shadow and tilted his head back, chest barely rising as she placed her lips to his and began to blow air.

As Marley tried to resuscitate the Hylian, I tried to confirm my assumption of how deep the wound was. It seemed, by the look of it, to be at least an inch deep, and that was all the information I could gather without hurting him. The stitching I had done earlier had completely disappeared, as if I had never sewn it, which was very odd, but I did not dwell on it. Instead, I began to stitch the deeper part of the wound before the surface.

When the needle pierced his skin, the Hylian's eyes snapped open, causing Marley to back away as he cried out in pain. We had yet to purchase any numbing medicine, unfortunately, so he would have to suffer through it. He was breathing on his own, but labored and wheezing, fading in and out of consciousness.

Marley took his hand and tried to keep him conscious while I continued with the suturing. The shadow's jaw was set, ears laid against his head as she spoke to him.

"I'm sorry, b-but you're going to have to maintain consciousness for us, o-okay?" Marley stuttered, tears forming at her eyes. The shadow gave no response, pain in his features as his eyes began to close. "Hey hey hey hey! D-don't close your eyes, s-stay awake!"

I finished with the suturing and tied it off using the tweezers in the kit, pressing the rag to his chest to absorb the blood that had flown from the wound. His pulse was weak, breath just the same as I began to tie new bandaging around his body.

"We're losing him," my sister said with a whimper, the Hylian's head propped in her lap. His lips were slightly parted, face pale with a hand resting on his stomach. Marley softly tapped his face in attempt to wake him. Nothing. He only remained limp, barely moving.

"No, we're not. He can get through this, I know for certain," I found myself saying as I mopped up the blood on the tile with the rag. "Get him to the couch if you can, trust me. I'll get the fire started."

Marley did as told, sliding her arms under the shadow and carefully carrying him to the couch without much of a struggle, though she did reposition him before getting him to the couch, him lying there practically motionless on the tan cushions.

I got up, set the bloodied rag in the sink with cold water and rushed to get the fireplace started, grabbing the matches from a stone shelf above the mantle. I had paper scraps from art in the fireplace, having wanted to start it earlier due to the cold, so I lit the paper.

The paper quickly was eaten up by the flames, the logs slowly engulfed as well. The embers glowed against the rough stone walls as I closed the glass door to the fireplace, watching the fire devour the logs and lick the stone.

I quickly crawled across the floor and knelt at the couch, grabbing the blanket on the bedroll from earlier, throwing it over the shadow's body. His face was illuminated by the orange light casted by the fire. Marley sat on the other end of the couch, nervously messing with her fingers to distract herself.

I went and grabbed my phone from the table, unlocked it and pressed "Contacts". In my contacts was the name "Milo", a good friend of mine who was currently employed at the hospital. I pressed the call button and put the phone up to my ear. There were several attempts where he was unable to pick up, but I kept trying until finally I got an answer.

"Hello, this is Milo Alaunus. Can I help you?" came a young voice, seemingly a bit irritated.

"Milo, it's me, Aoi," I began. "I need your help, immediately."

Pause. He lowers his voice, the irritation tone gone.

"What's the problem?"

"A young man I discovered a few days back was badly wounded. I found him in the woods, collapsed and barely breathing."

"Is he still alive and did you call the police?"

"Yes, he's still alive, but no, I hadn't called the police and still won't for good reason. But he might not be alive for much longer. He'd been unconscious for days and when he finally woke this morning, he tried to leave. As soon as he reached the door, he cried out in pain and collapsed, his chest had this large gaping wound, very fresh. I just stitched it but he's in a lot of pain…Can you please sneak some numbing medicine here and some other supplies?"

"Aoi, you know I can't do that. I could lose my job-" Milo began with a sigh.

"Milo, please listen to me. This man is not an ordinary human being. And I'm being dead serious. I've done things in the past for you, now is the time to return the favor. Come over as soon as possible and quick. Please, Milo."

"Why haven't you called the police?"

"There's a good reason, and as I stated, he's _not_ an ordinary human."

Again, a pause, and then another long sigh.

"I'll do what I can. Send me a picture when you get the chance."

"Thank you, Mimi."

I hung up the phone and turned to Marley. "How is he doing?"

"Struggling, but still holding on," Marley replied with a huff. "He's in a lot of pain."

"I know. Milo is coming over later with some things to help."

There was silence between us for several minutes, both watching the shallow rise and fall of the shadow's chest. I just now remembered we had tea and turned to begin brewing tea in the kitchen, a tea to help with relaxation made from lavender and chamomile.

 _Would have been nice to remember that earlier,_ I thought to myself as I put a small pot of water on the unit. The pot quickly began to heat, steam rising as the water bubbled. I turned the unit to off, the little handle making a click noise when moved.

I took the pot off the unit and poured hot water into a ceramic mug, removing the tea from the cover that kept it protected. A wonderful aroma filled the air as the teabag soaked. I waited patiently and watched the water turn a golden color, meaning it was finished. The bag was removed from the mug and I poured a spoonful of sugar into it, mixing it around until it was cool enough to not burn.

I took the herbal tea and walked into the front room, setting the mug down on an oak wood desk as I propped the shadow up. I then took the mug by the handle and pressed the rim against his still parted lips, slowly pouring the liquid. He coughed, sputtering up some of the tea, but I got him to take most of the brew, his crimson eyes barely cracked open.

"There we go," I breathed, setting the mug down once again. The Hylian's ear twitched at my voice, but faintly. "You're going to be alright."

"T…thank y…you," he spoke very quietly, voice cracked with pain.

"No need to thank us. A friend of mine will be coming over who works at the hospital, he will give you a medicine to help with the pain," I replied, seeing the shadow's eyebrows scrunch together at the word "hospital". I had to remind myself that he wasn't of our world as I continued. "Can I ask of your name?"

There was a long pause.

"D…Darkile," he breathed.

"Would 'Ile work for short?" Marley asked quietly. Darkile nodded slightly. "Just, rest, 'Ile. You're going to be alright."

* * *

And there you are! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Have a Merry Little Christmas my lovelies!

 _ **-WingedIceWolf**_


	4. Chapter 4 -Milo-

So sorry for the long wait, my lovelies! I have had much much going on, including the death of my beloved parakeet, El. It really took a toll on me, so I stopped doing basically everything for a while...

Anyway, this chapter is up and running. I hope you enjoy! Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows!

 _ **-WingedIceWolf**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.**_

* * *

I held up my phone and took a picture of the Hylian upon my couch, forgetting the flash was on. The bright light flashed, Darkile shut his eyes tightly as white beamed against his face, groaning.

When the image formed, I could see Darkile with his eyes shut, face nearly in a grimace, Marley shielding her eyes with her hands as well. It wasn't the best picture, considering the expressions I got from the two, but I clicked the "Share" button upon my phone, clicking "Messages" and sent the picture to Milo anyway. I then put my phone inside my pocket, looking over at Darkile.

"Sorry about that," I apologized, walking to the kitchen to search for more medical supplies. "I had to take a picture for Milo." My phone vibrated a couple minutes later as I rummaged through drawers, my ringtone being Navi saying, "Hey, listen!" I pulled my phone out of my pocket, seeing a notification from Milo.

 _You really weren't kidding._ The notification said.

I sighed, unlocked the screen and replied. _Of course, I wasn't kidding. When will you be here?_

 _My break will be in another hour, so you'll have to wait until then. I'm sorry._

I growled in annoyance, set my phone upon the marble counter and sighed with my hands in my hair, my chocolate brown locks falling over my shoulders. Marley must have seen my agitation, she got up and neared me, asking, "Is something wrong?" I could hear the concern in her voice, despite the fact she tried to keep it low.

"Milo isn't going to be here until at least another hour," I replied with a heavy sigh.

"At least he's still coming," Marley replied, trying to brighten the mood. "Would you like to put on a movie?"

I paused for a long while, then answered glumly, "Sure. Though a walk would suit me better."

"We can't go for a walk, we have to supervise 'Ile," Marley began, voice hushed. "He's starting to drift off to sleep again, I don't want to scare him into thinking we're hostile or Milo's hostile, or whatever you want to believe, because he may try to take off again. He's too weak and hurt to be going anywhere. So, please, we have to be beside him in case something happens."

I got up, closed the drawer I was rummaging through and went into the front room, opening a dresser-like stand that held discs and gaming supplies, such as my Xbox, my Wii U, my 3DS, and my Nintendo consoles, my Wii remotes and my Xbox controllers. I pulled out a CD rack and allowed Marley to go through it.

Meanwhile, I scooted closer over to Darkile, his eyes flicking under his eyelids. The shadow's face was still rather pale, but at least he was breathing now. I checked his pulse carefully, not wanting to wake him, carefully placing two fingers to his cold neck. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of a change in his pulse, which made me turn very concerned.

Marley picked out a disc, stepped up on the little ledge that surrounded the fireplace and popped the disc into the CD player upon the mantle. She then turned on the TV and took the remote, sitting down upon the couch.

"What did you put in?" I asked as I came to sit beside her, continuously glancing over at Darkile upon the couch.

"A movie," Marley said with a smirk.

"Great. This game," I muttered. "What kind of movie?"

"A good movie."

"I'm serious, is it something that is loud and is going to wake him up?" I jerked my thumb toward the Hylian. Marley's face went a bit more serious and she shook her head.

"It's just Lord of The Rings," Marley said. "I can turn it down, but I don't think it will wake him. Would you like me to choose another?"

I paused, shrugged and replied "I'll watch him and see how he does. If he gets restless, we'll have to change it."

The two of us began to watch _The Fellowship of The Ring_ , enjoying the nostalgic music and scenes we had watched countless time over as children. We both could quote the entire movie from start to finish, know every scene and every little detail. We were just into the part where the Fellowship were forced to struggle through The Pass of Caradhras, when a knock sounded at the door.

"It's about dang time," I muttered under my breath, getting up and answering the door.

At the door stood a young man, in his early twenties, messy orange-blond colored hair, a young face with greenish-blue eyes, wearing a navy-blue shirt with blue jeans. He was holding a box in his hands, struggling a bit with it. I stepped aside and let Milo in.

"Sorry, I came as fast as I could," Milo apologized, setting the heavy box down upon the counter, stretching his arms with a slight wince. "The hospital is pretty busy. You should consider yourself lucky that I was able to sneak this supplies from the Surgical room."

"Many thanks, Mimi," I said with a slight smile.

"Where's this not-so-human man you were telling me about?" Milo asked, brushing back his messy hair from his eyes. Milo always reminded me of a puppy, with his playful, loving behavior and messy hair, but he was also incredibly loyal and serious when it came down to it. "And are you watching the Fellowship of The Ring? Without me? Gee, you're so cruel…"

I laughed slightly. "Same old, same new, Milo. The Hylian-"

"Wait wait, hold up. You mean 'Hylian' as in like Zelda?" Milo said, confused but also skeptical. "This better not be some sort of prank."

I flicked Milo in the head harshly. "Would I drag you all this way if it was a prank, Milo? I am in legitimate need of your help! And yes, he is a Hylian. More of a doppelganger, I would say." I led Milo into the front room, to the couch beside Darkile. Milo stood in shock for a good couple of seconds, then shook his head after I tugged on his ear.

"Hi Mimi!" Marley chimed, turning off the TV with the remote. Milo waved back, then turned to Darkile, kneeling beside him.

"Pull the blanket away, I have to see the injury," Milo said quietly. I nodded, carefully pulled the blanket from the shadow's body. Of course, Darkile was bandaged, causing Milo to frown slightly. "There go my chances of waking him." He started undoing the bandaging.

In an instant, Darkile's crimson eyes snapped open, he grabbed Milo's wrists tightly, eyes narrowed and glaring, lips nearly pulled back in a snarl. The action caused him to stifle a cry of pain, but he kept his iron grip around Milo's wrists.

"Darkile, easy," Marley said quickly, rushing over. "Trust me, he's a friend, he's just here to help!"

Milo seemed unphased by the matter, probably having similar occurrences in the hospital, but he was wincing, his hands turning white. Darkile hesitantly released but said nothing, bruises already forming at Milo's wrists.

"You're incredibly strong," Milo breathed, rubbing his wrists, looking Darkile over. "It's amazing, especially considering your current state." Milo's gaze fell upon Darkile's pointed ears, his red loop earrings, his crimson eyes, and then his jaw line. From there, he studied the less-severe wounds upon Darkile's body, despite his want to feel Darkile's ears to assure himself that this wasn't some sort of prank.

"Darkile," I began, coming beside him. "Relax, alright? If you don't trust Milo to undo the bandaging, may I?"

The shadow's crimson eyes met mine, hesitantly nodding slightly. I sat behind him, carefully undoing the bandaging, fingers weaving between the many strips upon his body. The entire time, Darkile's chin rested in his hand, but his eyes never left Milo, almost as if he expected Milo to lash out and attack. I could feel the tenseness of his body as I undid the bandaging.

"Why do you need him?" Darkile asked, tone quiet, yet cold, glaring at Milo. I could nearly sense Darkile was struggling to maintain his consciousness.

"He works at the hospital, a place where injured are taken in to be hospitalized, despite how bad their wounds or how bad the situation. The doctors and nurses do everything in their power to heal their patients, whether that be by surgery, involving stitching, suturing, whatever you wish to call it, or by medicines," I explained. "Milo has more medical experience than I, that's why I need him here."

Milo began to explain as well, seeing the confusion upon the Hylian's face. "Hospitalization means to be taken in and treated under the care of someone. A hospital is a building where, as Aoi explained, doctors and nurses, the nurses being female, doctors varying between male and female, tend to their patients. The patients are the people they tend to. I'm guessing you know what suturing and stitching is, but in case you don't, it's using medical suturing string to sew two edges of a wound together so that it will heal. The medical stitches we use when operating inside someone are biodegradable, meaning the body decomposes them and breaks it down until the suturing is gone and the wound can heal without the higher risk of reopening. Medicine is-"

"I know what medicine is," Darkile interrupted bitterly, though his words seemed kind of sluggish, weary even. I don't know if he realized, but he was leaning back, as if trying to prevent himself from falling off the couch.

"Well, it seems we're all set then," Milo said, standing. He disappeared into the kitchen.

"Are you doing alright, 'Ile?" I asked, a little concerned. He didn't reply, simply shrugging my hand off his shoulder and replying with a, "M fine." But even that did not convince me. His eyes would close from time to time, the sunlight casting a warm glow upon his still pale face, shivering. I covered him with the blanket, waiting patiently for Milo.

Milo returned with a syringe, a bottle of lidocaine, a medical sewing needle, suturing string, gloves, a clean rag, an IV, anesthetic, an IV bag, a medical covering for surgery, a cauterization kit, and an IV stand that was separated into a few parts.

Darkile growled loudly at Milo, but Milo didn't flinch. "What I'm going to have to do is put you under anesthesia through an IV in your arm." He held up the IV. "This IV goes into your vein, getting the medicine into your body quicker. You will be rendered unconscious and unresponsive, but this will allow me to tend to the wound better. During the surgery, I may or may not need to cauterize the wound with this kit here," he motioned to the cauterization kit. "You will awake from the anesthesia in a few hours. I brought some pain medicine to help with the pain after you awake."

Milo carefully examined the wound upon Darkile's chest, biting his lower lip, pressing against it and feeling it, tapping against it. Darkile looked about ready to pounce Milo, rip his throat out, even though he was struggling to stay awake. Milo sighed and stood. "What I am going to do is undo the stitching that Aoi has done and redo the stitching myself, clear any scarred skin and sew it together beneath the dermis, perhaps even the hypodermis. Seems the wound is deep."

Marley and I both looked at each other with concern. Before, the wound wasn't deep, if at all. Only an inch. Now, it was deeper.

"I also have materials with me that will regulate your heartbeat and your breathing. I will also put a breathing mask on you that will also be connected to a machine that will pump oxygen so that you do not suffocate during the procedure. Is all this clear?"

Darkile hesitated for a long while, nodding slightly. "Fine…"

Milo nodded, left the house and went to his back trunk where he had stored the oxygen machine and the heartbeat and oxygen regulators. I couldn't believe he had managed to sneak all that out of the hospital. But then again, Milo is also like a fox…

"What if none of this works and it's all for nothing…?" Marley asked quietly. "What if the suturing is done, but the wound only reopens?"

"We can only hope for the best," I replied. "Milo's done this kind of thing before, I wouldn't be concerned."

Milo returned, began to set everything up, including a table carrying medical tools. He had Darkile move so that he could cover the couch and the ground with a special covering to catch any blood. He then had the shadow lie upon the couch after a failed attempt to convince him to change into different clothing. Milo disappeared and returned in surgical clothing.

I helped hold Darkile down as Milo prepared the IV, hooking it up to the bag upon the stand and inserting it into his skin. The Hylian growled, thrashing, eyes wild and full of fire, but after a while, he quickly succumbed to the medicine. I released him as Milo put surgical tape upon the IV to keep it in place.

"Certainly is feisty…You two go upstairs, alright? I'll call you down when he wakes. And don't worry about my boss calling, I called in sick. And you could have saved me the time and effort by bringing him to the hospital."

"Thanks, Milo," I thanked him, smiling a little. "I understand this will take you a while, but please, please be careful. I hope all goes well."

Marley and I disappeared upstairs, both anxiously waiting for the signal.

* * *

And there is this chapter! Not so much of a cliffie, right? I hope you enjoyed!

 _ **-WingedIceWolf**_


End file.
